Best of the Web: The Top 20 Links of the Week

PITTSBURGH - DECEMBER 23: Defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau of the Pittsburgh Steelers watches his team warm up prior to the game against the Carolina Panthers on December 23, 2010 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)

(Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)

This week’s edition of Best of the Web is heavy on Steeler talk, to the surprise of precisely no one. We’ve got news on Maurkice Pouncey and Aaron Smith, an update on Dick LeBeau’s future, a Terrible Towel hater, a Big Ben hater, a death in the Penguin family, good news for a Pirate prospect, the Pitt non-conference schedule, and much, much more. So clear your schedule and prepare yourself for 20 Burgh-related links comin’ at ya like James Harrison chasing down a helpless QB.

If you’re tired of Black and Yellow (I’m not, by the way), a popular alternative is Kellee Maize’s City of Champions.

Arto Javanainen, the first European draft pick in Penguin history, passed away following a long illness in a hospital at Turku, Finland at age 51. Javanainen was a fifth-round pick in the same 1984 draft that produced Mario Lemieux. [Empty Netters]

The Vancouver Canucks are currently the odds-on favorites to win the Cup, with the Penguins second. So at the very worst, we’re looking at another Pittsburgh team in the final two? I can live with that. [Puck Daddy]

Rob Rossicatches up with “The Moose”, former Penguin Johan Hedberg. Hard to believe it’s been nearly 10 years since his romp through the NHL’s postseason. [Trib]

A game-worn Sidney Crosby Winter Classic jersey sold for a final bid of $17,271 on an NHL.com auction that recently closed. Recession? What recession? [Auction.NHL.com]

Crockett (5’11”, 180) had offers from Michigan, Cincinnati, Georgia Tech, North Carolina State and West Virginia; Patton (5’10”, 170) had offers from Wisconsin, Indiana, West Virginia and Cincinnati, and also was being recruited by Michigan. [PG]

Pitt’s 2011 non-conference football schedule includes home games against Buffalo (Sept. 3rd), Maine (Sept. 10th), Notre Dame (Sept. 24th) and Utah (Oct. 15th) and a roadie at Iowa (Sept. 17th). Let’s hope the high profile non-con games go better than they did in 2010. [PG]

Kellee really brings out her love for the city of Pittsburgh in her City of Champions video which really makes her shine as an artist to people of Pittsburgh, which is something that can help people to connect with her and her music.